Diko’s executive bureau has decided to propose to the central committee that the party back independent presidential candidate Nikos Christodoulides in the February elections.

The central committee is expected to ratify the decision on Sunday.

A party announcement issued after Wednesday’s meeting said Diko president Nicolas Papadopoulos had briefed members of the bureau on contacts with political parties and independent candidates regarding the presidential elections.

It said the decision to back Christodoulides was taken after weighing all the information before it and after taking into consideration the written positions of the independent candidates, the wishes of the large majority of Diko members and voters and the prevailing view of society more widely.

Papadopoulos met Christodoulides at the party’s offices earlier this week with both veteran politicians later telling the media of the constructive talks which took place.

They jointly said they had discussed a wide array of important topics – from the Cyprus problem and the economy to social issues.

Christodoulides announced his candidacy for the presidential elections on May 12 in a wide-ranging address to the public from social media.

The burgeoning field of candidates, now standing at a dozen vying for the top spot, has thrown the island into a pre-election campaign mode close to nine months before votes are cast.

Christodoulides, Disy leader Averof Neophytou, and Akel-backed Andreas Mavroyiannis are those viewed as securing considerable chunks of the electorate. Mavroyiannis and Christodoulides emphasise that they are running as independents.

The view of there being three main candidates was reiterated by Neophytou on Tuesday when he said “There is the Diko candidate [meaning Christodoulides], Akel’s candidate [Mavroyiannis] and the ‘original’, the Disy leader [referring to himself].”

He further detailed that on July 4, marking 46 years since the founding of Disy, the party will announce a 100-point election manifesto.

Other independent candidates include Achilleas Demetriades, Giorgos Colocassides, Marios Eliades, Christodoulos Protopapas and Constantinos Christofides, former rector of the University of Cyprus.